The Voice of Witness Reader Ten Years of Amplifying Unheard Voices

For ten years, Voice of Witness has illuminated contemporary human rights crises through its remarkable oral history book series. Founded by Dave Eggers, Lola Vollen and Mimi Lok, Voice of Witness has amplified the stories of hundreds of people impacted by some of the most crucial human rights crises of our time, including men and women living under oppressive regimes in Burma, Colombia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe; public housing residents and undocumented workers in the United States; and exploited workers around the globe. This selection of narratives from these remarkable men and women is many things: an astonishing record of human rights issues in the 21st century; a testament to the resilience and courage of the most marginalized among us; and an opportunity to better the understand the world we live in through human connection and a participatory vision of history.

Voice of Witness is a nonprofit organization that aims to foster a more nuanced, empathetic understanding of contemporary human rights crises through oral history and education. Its book series depicts these injustices through the oral histories of the men and women who experience them. The Voice of Witness Education Program connects educators, students, and invested communities with these stories and issues through oral history-based curricula, training, and holistic educational support. Visit VoiceOfWitness.org for more information.

Dave Eggers is the acclaimed author of ten books and the co-founder of Voice of Witness, as well as the nonprofits 826 Valencia, ScholarMatch, and the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation. He has received various awards including the IMPAC Literary Award for Hologram for the King and the American Book Award for Zeitoun.